FAQ

If you have received a Notice of Transit Violation and wish to obtain a $15 penalty reduction, follow these steps:

Watch the Metro Transit School Tutorial and complete the 3-part quiz (this should take about 20 to 30 minutes)

Have your Notice of Transit Violation with you so you can input the number (look in the top right corner)

Once you've received your Certificate of Completion an automatic $15 penalty reduction will be applied to your ticket. Please call 213.92.COURT (213.922.6878) for further instructions.

Eligibility
: A person may apply his or her Certificate of Completion to reduce a Notice of Transit Violation penalty only once in a 12-month period. To be eligible for a penalty reduction the Transit School Tutorial must be completed before any second level administrative hearing is conducted.

There are three levels that may be involved in contesting a violation.

Three Level Process

Initial Review

Administrative Hearing

Appeal Through the Superior Court

1. Initial Review - 1st Level
If you disagree with a violation that you have received and would like to contest it, you have 21 days from the date the violation was issued, or 14 days from the mailing of the Delinquent Parking Violation Notice (for parking violations only), to submit an Initial Review request. Please fill out the request a review section on the back of your violation, and attach a written statement as to why you believe the violation was issued in error. You should also include any supportive documentation (e.g. receipts, pictures, diagrams) to support your statement. Materials submitted for review will not be returned.

The request for initial review may be mailed to
:

Metro Transit Court
PO Box 866015
Los Angeles, CA 90086-6015

Metro Transit Court will review your Initial Review request and will make a determination as to its outcome by rendering one of the following decisions:

The violation was determined to be invalid and will be dismissed. No further action will be required on your part. You will receive written correspondence from Metro Transit Court confirming the dismissal of your violation.

The ticket was determined to be valid and payment must be submitted in full. You will receive written correspondence from Metro Transit Court notifying you of the decision and advising you that the violation must be paid.

The request for an initial review is free of charge.

2. Administrative Hearing - 2nd Level

If you are dissatisfied with the initial review results, you may further contest the violation by requesting an Administrative Hearing to be conducted either in person or by mail. Administrative Hearings must be requested within 21 days of the date the decision was reached on your Initial Review. If you fail to request the Administrative Hearing within the prescribed time you will lose the opportunity to further contest the violation and the results of the Initial Review become FINAL. Unlike the initial review request, State Law requires that you pay in advance all fines that are owed on the violation before you can request an Administrative Hearing. If you are unable to pay the penalty in advance you must complete a Declaration of Inability to Pay waiver and submit the declaration and the necessary documentation with your request for a hearing. You can also download a
Declaration of Inability to Pay waiver
.

Please note that payment or a Declaration of Inability to Pay waiver with the required documentation must be received within 21 days from the date of this letter or you will forfeit your right to a hearing. If payment is not received within 21 days from the date of this letter your violation will be declared unpaid and further legal action may be taken against you. If you have any questions regarding these procedures, please call Metro Transit Court at 213.92COURT (213.922.6878).

To request an in-person Administrative Hearing, please complete the Administrative Hearing Request Form that is located on the reverse side of your Initial Review results form and mail it to Metro Transit Court along with the applicable payment or Declaration of Inability to Pay waiver. Please be sure to check the applicable box indicating that you are requesting an in-person Administrative Hearing. You will receive written notification regarding the date and time scheduled for your hearing. If you require the services of an interpreter on the date of your in-person Administrative Hearing, one will be provided at no cost to you please check the appropriate box on the Administrative Hearing Request Form and specify the language needed. If you cannot attend your in-person Administrative Hearing, you must contact Metro Transit Court at 213.92COURT (213.922.6878) to reschedule no later than 48 hours (two working days) prior to your scheduled hearing. If you do not attend a scheduled in-person hearing you will be declared to have Failed to Appear, and you will have no further right of appeal. Any penalty amounts outstanding will be immediately due and payable and your violation will be declared unpaid.

To request an Administrative Hearing by mail, please complete the Administrative Hearing Request Form that is located on at the reverse side bottom of your Initial Review results form and mail it to Metro Transit Court along with the applicable payment or Declaration of Inability to Pay waiver. Please be sure to check the applicable box indicating that you are requesting an Administrative Hearing by mail and include documentation to support your statements. Documents submitted will not be returned.

If the Hearing Officer makes a decision in your favor, Metro Transit Court will refund your payment, if you have no other outstanding violations. If you have outstanding violations the refund will be applied to the unpaid balance.

If you are not satisfied with the Hearing Officers decision you may further contest the violation by appeal through the Superior Court. You cannot appeal a violation if you have not first obtained the results from your Initial Review and your Administrative Hearing. Both must be performed before you can appeal the violation. Furthermore, appeals must be requested within 30 days from the date of the Hearing Officer’s decision. The trial in Superior Court is a trial de novo – it is conducted without regard to the findings made at the previous reviews. To file for an appeal, you must do so in person at the Superior Court. A $25 filing fee must be submitted to the court for each violation that you are appealing.

Metro Transit Court representatives will provide the Hearing Officer with all relevant information associated with your case. Information provided may contain the following items:

Copy of the violation you were issued.

All correspondence that Metro Transit Court has on file that you submitted.

Investigation results that were conducted associated with your violation.

Computer system notes on phone calls made to Metro Transit Court relevant to your violation.

Correspondence and notices that were sent to you by Metro Transit Court.

The Hearing Officer will review the written information provided by the Appellant prior to the hearing. During the hearing, the Hearing Officer will listen to any arguments on why the violation should be dismissed. The Hearing Officer is an impartial party and will not advocate for or against the Appellant. To arrive at the facts, the Hearing Officer may cross-examine the Appellant and any witnesses and will review the information on the violation. The Hearing Officer will weigh the evidence, including any discrepancies elicited during the questioning and render a decision based on the facts of the case and applicable laws.

The issuing Officer of the violation is not required to appear at the hearing for the violation to be upheld.

Once the Hearing Officer has enough information and the Appellant has been given an adequate opportunity to fully present their evidence, the Hearing Officer will end the hearing.

The Appellant will generally receive a written decision within 14 days of the hearing. If the Hearing Officer finds in favor of the Appellant, a refund will be issued in 4 – 6 weeks, provided there are no other unpaid violation. If the violation is upheld and the Appellant chooses to appeal the decision, a letter to the Appellant will provide instruction on how to file for a third and final appeal in a Superior Court within 30 days.

If you are unable to attend the Administrative Hearing on the scheduled date you may reschedule your hearing. Administrative Hearings can only be rescheduled one time. If you are not in attendance on the date of your rescheduled hearing you will lose the opportunity to contest your violation.

For transit violations, you cannot appeal your violation if you do not do so within 21 days from the date your violation was issued. The time allowed to contest your transit violation is specified in the Public Utilities Code.

For parking violations, you cannot appeal your violation if you do not do so within 21 days from the date your violation was issued or 14 days from the date of your notice of delinquency. The time allowed to contest your parking violation is specified in the California Vehicle Code.